State Senate candidates square off

Thursday

Oct 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMOct 30, 2008 at 5:26 PM

The economy loomed large in the first and only debate between Scott Brown, a Wrentham Republican, and Needham Democrat Sara Orozco, who is challenging Brown for his Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District state Senate seat.

Heather McCarron/GateHouse News Service

The economy loomed large in the first and only debate between Scott Brown, a Wrentham Republican, and Needham Democrat Sara Orozco, who is challenging Brown for his Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District state Senate seat.

Brown, 49, touted his experience and voting record, saying those are the things needed to tackle the "very serious issues" the state faces.

Orozco, 45, said she's all about bringing change and "helping middle class families struggling with the high cost of good health care, housing and education."

The district, which Brown has represented for the past four years, includes Attleboro, Franklin, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainville, Sherborn, Wayland, Wellesley and Wrentham. The candidates debated last night at Attelboro City Hall.

Orozco repeatedly held up the life sciences bill, a $1 billion initiative to subsidize development of life sciences companies over a 10-year period, as a force of important economic change.

"It's a wonderful opportunity," said Orozco, a licensed psychologist and certified business coach with a practice in Needham.

She was critical of Brown for voting against the bill, saying, in her mind, that looks like a vote against jobs, business and education.

Brown calls the life sciences bill a $1 billion "boondoggle" that puts too much money into infrastructure and not enough into actual creation of jobs.

Brown, an attorney and a 28-year member of the Massachusetts National Guard, said he agreed with the ideas behind the bill, and said "Gov. Patrick's bill originally was very good, but to put $100 million a year into something that's not going to benefit our area at all is not worth it."

"I'm not against the life sciences. I'm on the biotech council - it's not about that. It's choosing where the money goes," Brown said.

The candidates also spoke to the prospect of allowing the state's racetracks to add slot machines as a means of stimulating business and the economy.

"The slot machines is not a good idea for economic development," Orozco said, noting she would rather see that money "be able to develop long-lasting jobs in our area."

Allowing slots, Brown said, would keep money from ending up at gambling facilities in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Racetracks, he noted, "would be obligated to give 50 cents on the dollar for each dollar that goes into a slot machine" to the state.

Orozco was questioned about her qualifications for the job, considering she has never held an elected office before, while Brown has 16 years of public service as an assessor and selectman in Wrentham, a state representative and a senator.

Orozco said she believes her personal and professional experience has given her the skills needed to bring the kind of change she thinks the average voter wants.

"I listen to people and I help them solve problems, what are sometimes insurmountable problems," she said, noting she thinks those are skills "that are needed up on Beacon Hill."

Brown said he's been serving his community and the district for more than a decade, he's made more than 4,000 votes and he has a nearly 100 percent voting record.

"I have had a history of delivering for the district. I've brought back hundreds of millions of dollars," he said, adding he also has a history "of working across party lines to get legislation passed."

He said there's a reason his opponent has gotten the endorsements she's gotten from Patrick and various unions. "It's because I'm up there beating the drum, criticizing them for wasteful spending," Brown said.

Orozco described herself as "fiscally responsible" and said her concern would not only be to protect local aid, but to make sure "that we really do make cuts.

"I think people are really mad about the level of government spending," she said.

Brown said he has voted against budgets he thought were out of whack, including the last state budget, which he called "not sustainable."

"You need to be up there making tough decisions, and sometimes they're not popular," he said.

He said it is "very easy to cherry pick votes" he has made, as it always will be. "Once the election is over, we will be voting to making some very serious cuts. Yes, we have to, because we don't have the money to sustain this continuous overspending that we have."

Orozco said since starting her campaign she has been amazed with how many people have come out to help her.

"What it signifies to me, it really makes me realize how much people are wanting change," she said, "whether we're talking about the economy, education, health care."

"All I see when I come across the district is opportunities," she said. "You can count on me to be there, accessible to you."

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